In this post I show you how to make my popular quick and easy Overnight Oats basic recipe in many variations – The cold oatmeal is delicious, healthy, vegan and works great with gluten-free oats! The perfect breakfast for everyday!
The Best Overnight Oats Recipe
Want a healthy and, most importantly, delicious breakfast in the morning, but don’t have the time or motivation to turn on the stove? Then Overnight Oats are perfect for you, as you can prepare them before you go to bed and leave them to swell overnight in the fridge. That way, all you have to do in the morning is get the Oats out of the fridge and you can enjoy a delicious breakfast with your favorite toppings in no time!
The perfect healthy breakfast
Muesli, granola, oatmeal and overnight oats are something I have for breakfast almost every day, besides pancakes, crêpes waffles and Austrian Kaiserschmarrn! My favorite way to eat my oatmeal is with plant milk or dairy-free yogurt, fresh fruit, crunchy nuts, and omega-3 rich chia or flax seeds as toppings. This gives my body plenty of nutrients and enough energy for the perfect start to the day!
In my basic porridge recipe I already showed you step-by-step how to make the perfect oatmeal porridge yourself. In addition, I also mentioned in the post how healthy oats are and why I like to eat them that much. So today I’m going to show you how you can also make my favorite Overnight Oats basic recipe quickly and easily in different variations. I hope you‘ll love it! 🙂
Overnight Oats with simple ingredients
This basic vegan overnight oats recipe is super easy to make and only requires a few inexpensive plant-based ingredients. To make the oatmeal you basically only need 2 basic ingredients: Rolled oats and milk. However, regarding the other ingredients like sweeteners, nuts, seeds and toppings, you can let your creativity run wild, because there are countless possibilities, which I have listed further down in the post.
- Oats: I prefer quick oats but you can also use steel cut oats or old-fashioned oats. While oats are naturally gluten-free, they often come into contact with gluten during the manufacturing process. So if you are looking for a gluten-free option, make sure your use certified gluten-free oats. Alternatively, you can use other cereal flakes such as spelt, millet or quinoa.
- Plant milk: you can use any non-dairy milk such as oat milk, soy milk, rice milk, cashew milk, coconut milk or almond milk.
- Agave syrup: however, you can also use maple syrup, date syrup or any other syrup or sugar to taste instead.
- Flax or chia seeds: optional for more fiber, omega-3 and a creamier texture.
How to make Overnight Oats – Here’s how easy the recipe is!
As always, I recommend checking out these step-by-step instructions and the recipe video first. Then you’ll find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Mix oats with milk.
Simply add oats and plant milk to a sealable container or mason jar and give it a good stir. If you like, you can add flax seeds or chia seeds and agave syrup (or other ingredients). Then seal the jar tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Step 2: Let soak and enjoy!
The next morning, all you have to do is stir the Overnight Oats well again. Now you can adjust the liquid if your oatmeal mixture is too thick. Then top it with strawberry sauce, fresh fruit, granola or any other toppings you like. Grab and enjoy!
How can I store leftover Overnight Oats?
Overnight Oats keep well for 2-3 days in the refrigerator. You can either store them in an airtight container or in a sealed jar. If you’re craving a warm porridge, you can also transfer your overnight oats into a bowl or pot and warm them up briefly in the microwave or on the stove before eating. If it’s gotten too firm, you can add a little more milk if needed to make your porridge creamier again.
Recipe variations + topping ideas
- Flavors: feel free to add any flavors you like such as vanilla extract, ground bourbon vanilla, chai latte, flavor drops, some cinnamon or other spices for more flavor.
- Fruit: feel free to add any berries or fruits like strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, pears, cherries, etc. or dried fruits like dates.
- Vegetables: if you want a low-calorie and diet-friendly version, shredded zucchini, carrots or even cauliflower are great in oatmeal.
- Yogurt: if you want your Overnight Oats to be super creamy, you can simply replace half of the plant milk with yogurt.
Chocolate Oats: to make chocolate overnight oats you can simply add 1-2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. I personally like the chocolate version best when you add a mashed banana and garnish with peanut butter and chopped or melted chocolate chips – Yummy! - Nut butter: e.g. peanut butter, cashew butter or almond butter.
- Protein: for more protein you can add you favorite vegan protein powder.
- Nuts: for more crunch you can also refine your Overnight Oats with your favorite nuts and seeds or homemade nut clusters.
- Other toppings: just like ice cream, there are many other topping options for Oatmeal – from fruit compote and raspberry sauce over chocolate granola, puffed quinoa or amaranth to desiccated coconut and colorful sprinkles!
Quick Bircher Muesli Recipe
In the mood for some Bircher Muesli? Then add a freshly grated apple and ground almonds or hazelnuts to your overnight oatmeal the next morning! It also tastes incredibly delicious with other fresh fruit like tangerines, grapes, pears and more!
This Overnight Oats recipe is:
- Vegan
- Dairy-free (lactose-free)
- Quick and easy to make
- Healthy
- Fiber-Rich
- Nutritious
- Creamy
- Delicious
- Versatile
- Ideal for meal prep
- Perfect for breakfast, as a dessert or snack!
More vegan sweet breakfast recipes
- The Best Vegan Pancakes
- Baked Oats
- Apple Carrot Muffins
- Granola
- Millet Porridge
- Scrambled Pancakes
- Banana Pancake Bites
- Pancake Cereal
- Chocolate Brioche Buns
- Croissants
- Crêpes
- Waffles
- Semolina Pudding
- Blueberry Scones
- Chocolate Pancakes
- Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Bars
- Granola Bars
- Chocolate Granola
- Banana Bread
Recipe Video
If you try this easy basic Overnight Oats recipe, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating! And if you take a picture of your oatmeal and share it on Instagram, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka because I would love to see your result! Enjoy! 🙂
How to make Overnight Oats - Easy & Vegan
Author:Ingredients
- 1 cup quick oats or other cereal, gluten-free if needed
- 1 ¼ cup plant milk e.g. almond, oat, soy, rice, cashew or coconut milk
- 1 tbsp flax or chia seeds optional
- 2 tsp agave syrup or other sweetener
Toppings (optional)
- strawberry sauce or raspberry sauce, apple sauce
- chocolate
- fruits e.g. strawberries & red currants
- 2-3 tbsp granola or other crunchy toppings, *read blog post above
Instructions
*Note: Check out the recipe video + step-by-step instructions above!
- Place oats and plant milk in a sealable container or jar and mix well. Stir in chia seeds and agave syrup (or other ingredients) if desired, seal the container or jar tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, give the overnight oats a stir again and serve with strawberry sauce, chocolate, fresh fruit, granola or any other toppings you like.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Flavor: If you like, you can add flavors and spices like vanilla, cinnamon or chai latte.
- Chocolate Oats: add 1-2 tbsp of cocoa powder and an optional mashed banana. Garnish with peanut butter and chopped chocolate if desired.
- Creamy Oats: replace 100 ml of plant milk with 100 g of dairy-free yogurt.
- Fruity Oats: mix in your favorite fresh fruit, dried fruit, fruit purees, compote or superfood powder.
- Nutty Oats: stir in 1-2 tbsp of nut butter or add chopped nuts or seeds.
- This recipe was first published on Sep 22, 2017 and updated on Mar 29, 2023 with new photos and a video.
- More tips and ideas, including my favorite combos and storing notes, are mentioned in the blog post above!
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It’s looking so fine
Thank you! 🙂
OMG. Those spoons are heavenly! Where did you get them from?
Hi Marta ?
Thank you! They’re are really my favorties‘
I found them in the Internet long time ago…
Much love,
Bianca ❤️